Category Archives: Mt. Everest

Mt. Everest: Seven years ago today I stood on the top of the world holding the National Organization of Rare Disorders Banner.

SUMMIT!!!!! After walking up and standing on the summit, I decide it’s safer to sit down and have my photo holding the National Organization of Rare Disorders Banner taken by Scott Woolums. Now, it’s time to take my medication and head down. May 23, 2010 at 9:02 AM Nepal time.

Everest the Movie. Finally had the time to go see it last night. I had read Jon Krakauer and Beck Weathers books so I had an idea of the story – which I cannot comment on as I was not there during that climb. The film’s cinematography was fantastic. It gave me goose bumps seeing the Cornice Transverse and the Hillary Step. The most difficult part of watching the film was trying to imagine what my …husband must be thinking/feeling/reliving. During my 54 days on the mountain, we had very little communication. Our satellite phones were state-of-the-art, but barley worked. It makes me sad to think about how much worry I caused him. For him, the not knowing was a terrible thing. People who climb big mountains choose to do so, but their friends and families are left behind for weeks/months of worrying. This is me climbing the Geneva Spur at just under 26,000 ft. Camp 4 was at the top, in the Death Zone. We went for the summit 9 hours later. After 12 hours, I stepped onto the summit, but I was not happy up there and left within 20 minutes. Every cell in my body was screaming, “Get off this mountain and back home to my family!” And I did!

Had lunch with a few of the local Mt. Everest summiters yesterday. Did some catching up on what everyone is/has been up to: Going back to Everest, running Ironman/Ironwoman, the 1100-mile Iditarod, North Pole Expeditions, hiking the 6000-mile Adventure Trail across America. The sky is the limit, or maybe not :)

Everest two years ago now: I had summited Everest and was back at Camp 4 alseep after the 18.5 hour around-trip suummit climb. A storm was blowing outside, but we were all safe and back in camp resting. However, we still had to get back down to base camp before we would be safe.

Everest two years ago now: Between the questionable weather and the crowd of about 140 climbers at Camp 4, the decision was made to leave for the summit. If things got worse, we would return to Camp 4. At 9 PM (Nepal time) we stepped off for the top of the world.

I am honored to be among those selected by Orange County Register columnist David Whiting as Best of OC outdoors for 2010 In his article he refers to the six Orange County Mt. Everest summiters as the “Magnificent Six” I don’t know how magnificent we are but we did climb a very big mountain :)